Chapter 134 – First Battle

The massive, arched dome of the warship sliced through the dark waves like a behemoth, sailing steadily on the water. The characters “Ten Thousand Years” occasionally flickered on the ship’s body amidst the dim ripples. Two centipede fast ships followed closely behind, each equipped with sailors, bailiffs, naval troops, and gunners, with nearly a hundred people per vessel.

Xu Chun, Qin Jie, and the others stood on the deck of the Ten Thousand Years, watching the four fast ships flanking them. On both sides, dozens of sailors rowed vigorously, advancing swiftly across the water as if propelled by the speed of thunder and lightning. Qin Jie remarked, “A single centipede fast ship is armed with cannons, chains, and giant crossbows. This already rivals our navy’s regular patrol boats during coastal defense.”

His tone carried a hint of bitterness.

Lu Jiugao said, “Each centipede fast ship can carry three hundred people, making it extremely convenient for near-sea combat. Currently, we’ve only placed a hundred people on each ship, which isn’t conducive to improving speed and endurance, but it’s sufficient for coastal smuggling operations. We came from Minzhou, and there weren’t many willing boatmen to leave their homes, so we need to continue recruiting here.”

Qin Jie responded, “Training soldiers will do; the navy has plenty of brave troops.”

Xu Chun nodded and smiled. “I’m counting on General Qin.”

Qin Jie chuckled. “But when we capture smugglers, according to imperial regulations, forty percent of the fines can be retained, and twenty percent of the confiscated goods can be kept as office expenses. Commissioner Xu will soon have enough money.”

Xu Chun sighed. “To be honest, I still owe the silver for building these ships, but I wouldn’t let you, Sir, and the brothers suffer. For each inspection, after setting aside what’s due to the court, all the goods will be taxed at ten percent, and fines will be taxed at twenty percent for the military. We’ll slowly repay the ship costs from the two percent of the customs office.”

Qin Jie laughed. “Commissioner Xu is just. The large ship from the customs office is the key to victory. Actually, I don’t mind, but my subordinates work hard for nothing. They must have some incentive to motivate them to work diligently.”

He then pointed to a distant, hazy cliff on the vast sea. “We’re here. Ahead is Si Niangzi Bay. The harbor branches out in multiple directions, lined with islands. The smuggling route from Lu Baiwan is considered a crucial path for contraband salt. It’s difficult to cover all the distribution points, and it’s impossible to prevent everything.”

“Our navy has tried to crack down ruthlessly before, but opportunities in naval battles are fleeting. The sea is vast, and the waves are turbulent. Smugglers operate at night. If they’re unfamiliar with the sea routes, the enemy’s smaller, more agile ships can scatter. Our navy chases them, and they scatter. They’re accustomed to living on the water, moving about as easily as walking on flat ground. But if we send small boats, they instead gather to surround and attack us.”

“Now that we have the advantage of the large ships and the centipede fast ships, it’s excellent. We’ll anchor our big ship here, using the cliffs for cover. Let the two fast ships go ahead and set up an ambush. We’ve already scouted the terrain. Two ships will face each other and hide on either side. Tonight, there will definitely be a fleet of salt smugglers passing through. When they enter the bay, we’ll lower iron chains on both sides, trapping them inside Si Niangzi Bay. We won’t fear them scattering, and we’ll shut the door on them, seizing their cargo!”

Xu Chun glanced at Sheng Changtian, who nodded slightly. Xu Chun knew the tactic would work. He thought to himself that although Qin Jie was worldly and greedy, he wasn’t entirely useless in leading troops and fighting. It seemed he had his own methods.

He smiled and said, “General Qin is indeed skilled in battle.”

The large ship anchored, and the four fast ships departed.

As the night grew deeper and the waves roared, they remained in the main hall of the ship, studying the coastline map. Xu Chun took out blueprints and discussed the maritime defense situation with him, asking about watchtower placement, signal towers, and bay settings. Today, Qin Jie was in a good mood and didn’t hold back, explaining everything. He especially provided clear details about the coastal defense setup around Jinhaiwei and the Zhejiang region, even pointing out common smuggling hotspots.

“In addition to contraband salt, the Japanese and the Red Barbarians also smuggle many goods. These are truly the great pirates of the seas. When encountered, there’s bound to be a fierce battle. That’s why I haven’t been able to tighten maritime defenses in recent years.”

“Even with the usual smuggling routes in hand, officials along the coast of Zhejiang hinder us. Sometimes when pirates arrive, they leisurely send us official documents. Other times, when we send documents requesting reinforcements, we have to wait for the governor’s approval. In the back-and-forth, the pirates have already fled thousands of miles away, disappearing without a trace. Most of the time, we end up running around for nothing, and we might even lose some soldiers.”

“But now that we have these two large ships, it’s much easier. We can handle them ourselves without relying on others. In fact, we can even help clear them out for others!”

Qin Jie was filled with pride and boldness, waving his arms with vigor.

Xu Chun secretly nodded, thinking that this man wasn’t solely greedy and corrupt. Not only was he knowledgeable about sea routes and maritime defenses, but he had also investigated smuggling routes before. It seemed he had some real skills in military affairs, which allowed him to reach the position of a fourth-grade commissioner.

Suddenly, they heard three thunderous sounds, the prearranged warning shots. Everyone’s spirits lifted, and they stood up. The soldier responsible for lookout quickly entered. “Sir! They’ve entered the trap!”

Qin Jie hurriedly said, “Set sail immediately. Let’s get closer!”

The ship moved swiftly, and they arrived at a reed marsh. As the sky cooled, Xu Chun wore a cloak and followed Qin Jie on the deck, holding a telescope to look over. Indeed, within the strait enclosed by several islands, their four fast ships had already stretched iron chains at the four corners, blocking a fleet of approximately seven to eight ships within the strait.

They heard a cannon shot, likely intended to intimidate. Someone blew a horn and raised a megaphone to loudly command, “Jinhaiwei Customs Office on official business! Drop your weapons and raise your hands! Submit to inspection! Failure to comply will result in unrelenting cannon fire!”

Xu Chun focused intently. Although the wind wasn’t strong tonight, the moonlight was dim. It seemed they had deliberately chosen a time with dim moonlight for their smuggling voyage. He could vaguely see ships speeding quickly in the middle.

“BANG!”

Qin Jie furrowed his brows. “They’re not complying. The enemy also has muskets. No wonder, looking at this fleet, the scale is quite large. So many ships, they probably have thousands of baskets of salt. In the past, they only dared to send one or two boats at a time, but now their appetite has grown.”

Xu Chun watched for a moment, and Sheng Changtian whispered, “Something’s not right. These don’t seem like ordinary smugglers. Ordinary merchants, upon hearing the cannon and seeing the authorities, as well as our large ship, would know they couldn’t win and would mostly accept the inspection. They also have guns and cannons, and they’re not surrendering or accepting inspection. They likely have murder on their hands, and their ship can’t withstand scrutiny. These are pirates. Be careful, they may try to escape by abandoning their ship.”

Qin Jie turned to glance at Sheng Changtian and praised him. “Third Master Sheng is indeed sharp-eyed and insightful. I’ve noticed it too. These should be a group of pirates that have been roaming around for a long time. They kill in broad daylight, intercept harbors, plunder grain shipments, and smuggle salt. Their crimes are unforgivable.”

After saying this, he passed down orders: “Pass the order down. Don’t hold back, show no mercy. Prevent them from escaping by abandoning their ship. Try to capture a few alive for interrogation, and do your best to secure the cargo.”

Flags were waved on the mast, and commands echoed out.

In his heart, however, Qin Jie thought: “Marquis Wu’an, Marquis Wu’an, it’s not that I’m being ruthless. You smuggle salt, and you smuggle salt. Why did you have to collude with pirates to transport it? Couldn’t you have sent some of your own guards? Moreover, this business keeps growing bigger and bigger. You haven’t given me a single copper coin. You deserve what’s happening today. If the investigation reveals your involvement with the pirates and smuggling salt, how many heads do you have?”

It seemed that with such a criminal charge against Marquis Wu’an, he would be easily defeated. It would depend on the strength of the people behind Marquis Wu’an to save him.

This Duke Jing’s heir really had some luck. It seemed that he wouldn’t lose his position for the time being and would still have to rely on the large ship and the boatmen.

Qin Jie pondered this while secretly sizing up Sheng Changtian, Lu Jiugao, Jiang Mei, and the others behind Xu Chun. He pointed at the sea chart and analyzed the night’s battle situation for Xu Chun, offering meaningful insights. Clearly, he was guiding and assisting this spoiled young master.

He couldn’t help feeling envious. Duke Jing’s heir had quite a number of capable people under him. Money certainly talked. Even Huo Shiduo, who was usually a thorn in the side, was willing to assist the customs office for profit this time. The city guard battalion also contributed a hundred men. Huo Shiduo personally led his troops into battle on the centipede ship and could share in the spoils. However, the city guard battalion indeed had the duty to assist the customs office in inspections, falling under his own military jurisdiction. They should receive a larger share this time.

As dawn approached, the major battle against salt smugglers reached its conclusion. They began tallying the spoils and arresting the surviving bandits. A deputy general approached jubilantly to report, “Reporting to the general and sir, we captured seventeen bandit prisoners and killed thirty. We’re still counting the bodies. We seized eight private salt ships, two of which were damaged by cannon fire. People are salvaging the cargo. The customs office officials inspected it, and there’s not only private salt but also valuable goods. We’ll have to take inventory carefully.”

Qin Jie was delighted and told Xu Chun, “Our first battle was a success! With these ships and powerful cannons, maritime inspections are indeed invincible. Let them conduct thorough interrogations.”

Xu Chun smiled. “This achievement belongs to you, Sir. We’ll draft a memorial when we return.”

However, Qin Jie waved his hand. “Not yet! While these pirates haven’t received news, we should quickly set up plans and thoroughly investigate the ports that frequently engage in smuggling. Striking like lightning, we’ll surely gain significant results! Then we’ll submit them together, attracting His Majesty’s attention.”

He then sincerely reminded Xu Chun, “Commissioner Xu, be careful. The governors and commanders in Zhejiang might learn about our large ship and rush to imitate us, riding on our tailwind. By then, the pirates and smugglers will be scared and avoid the limelight. If they share the credit with us, what will we have left? After all, you still have to repay the money for the ships.”

Xu Chun looked at Qin Jie with renewed respect. Indeed, in the art of promotion, General Qin was adept at it. He clasped his hands and smiled. “General Qin is indeed far-sighted, considering every detail. We’ll follow General Qin’s suggestion. Everyone will be busy in the coming days, accumulating achievements that are worth mentioning.”

That day, they returned victorious. Back in his room, Xu Chun was too excited to sleep. He got up and wrote a letter to Brother Nine:

“Brother Nine, the new ship has arrived. We set sail that very night and struck eight private salt-smuggling vessels, eliminating numerous wandering pirates. Brother Nine, please don’t worry. With these sturdy ships and powerful cannons, as well as our elite troops, going out for inspections is like using a cannon to swat a mosquito, absolutely safe. The enemies are easily routed and unable to withstand our attacks. Commissioner Qin and I plan to capitalize on our victory and clear the sea routes, ensuring we’re invincible everywhere and pacifying the maritime borders. Before the Thousand Autumns Festival, we can present this as a gift to celebrate Brother Nine’s birthday. Serving the emperor, I have no desires. May I wish ten thousand years of longevity to His Majesty.”

“Your brother, Xu Chun, respectfully bows.”